Why we swim : Book review

 



Book Review 


Title: Why We Swim

Author: Bonnie Tsui

Genre: Non-Fiction

 

Water as an element is mysterious and magical. Despite its imperceptible dangers, there is something that draws people to it.  

 

In ‘Why we swim’ author Bonnie Tsui explores this mystical element of water and immerses the readers into an unforgettable aquatic journey. She believes that everybody has their own swimming story. She goes on to her own tryst with the swimming pool that morphed into a passion for swimming in open waters. The book takes us through the various terms associated with swimming and also numerous inspirational tales. 

 

We learn about the Homo sapiens’ first attempts to feel at home in water and the sea nomads-the best free diving fishermen who swim down to two hundred feet. These tribes namely Moken and Bajau have unique abilities to understand the mercurial nature of the ocean. She also introduces us to the most compelling and inspiring people. 


There is Gudlaugur Fridporsson-the Icelandic icon who endured a six-hour swim in the freezing Atlantic after his fishing boat capsized. Then we meet Kim Chambers who loses her leg in an accident and becomes one of the world’s best long distance swimmers. We have Officer Jay Taylor who during the Iraq war, converted Saddam Hussein’s private pool into a swimming school for people around the world. She moves on to talking about Samurai swimmers from Japan, nuances of competition, community and flow. 

 

Divided in several sections, the author delves deep into every one of them, citing interesting examples and instances. Despite some of the technical elements, her prose flows in a beautiful rhythm, giving you the feeling of riding a wave. Her sentences are lyrical and poetic. Besides her language, the structure of the book works well.  It emphasizes the healing power of water and other health benefits. Inspiring and informative, ‘Why we swim’ will resonate with every swimmer and non-swimmers will be compelled to take that plunge. 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Heidi: Movie review

Image
I had read this classic by Johanna Spyri as a little girl. I won it as a prize along with my merit card when I was graduating from Primary to Middle School.  When I stumbled upon this on Amazon Prime, I was delighted. It always feels good to watch your favorite fictional characters on screen. Its often slated that the book is always better as it captures a lot more depth with regards to the plot and characters. However a couple of adaptations that I had seen in the recent past made a good watch. A couple of them ended up being a visual treat. One was The Call of the Wild which showcased the beauty of the Alaskan Wilderness. Another one was Heidi which exhibited the splendor of the snow clad Alps.  Heidi is the story of a young orphaned girl who is sent to live in the mountains with her rather eccentric grandfather-who is known as Alm Uncle by the villagers. Heidi manages to melt his heart as he develops an affection for her. She spends her carefree days in t...
Read more

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the i...
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the...
Read more